First off, wow, wow, wow. Thanks for the accolades guys (and girls).
So you guys have thrown a couple things out that could be touched on and will help clear up a LOT of confusion. I'll go over some basics, then hit the bullets points in posts above.
First of all fitting is all about YOU, YOU ,YOU…not anybody else. The glasses that give me good eyesight may not work for a single one of you. Shoes are no different. When anyone comes to us and say "OK, you guys know feet - do your thing", I need to do 2 things. I need to make sure fit is as close as I can get and I need to make sure YOUR orthopedic needs are met. The two are very different but the combinations of how we attend to both is different for everyone. If you guys look back, you'll see we've posted numbers of tutorials trying to help people understand what's important, how to avoid bad advise and how to get on the path to the best footwear arrangement possible. The very next day, someone would post a thread "What kind of shoes should I get?" and the flood gates would open up with so much bad advise, we would just bury our faces in our palms. We kind of left it alone and have let the importance on this subject spread organically. So to recap, FIT and Biomechanics.
So, lets hit on the thread:
#1 Insoles …There is no such thing as an insole battle. Sole vs Superfeet vs Powerstep vs Dr Scholls… BLAH BLAH BLAH!! The problem isn't the insoles. Its how we buy them and what we're buying them for (over pronation, lateral stability, fatigue deflection, etc..). #1 insoles ARE NOT shoe size. (Call me for more explanation, too long to type out). #2 Just because it has lots of arch support or cushion does not make it good. You could buy the best insoles on earth but if you aren't matching your biomechanics needs, biometrics and volume distributions you straight up wasted your money. We LOVE Sole only because Soles allow us an incredible amount of dynamic range. I've walked into outfitters that sell Sole and do not fit ...and my blood pressure goes through through the roof. Brands like super feet do great because there are so generic. They aren't dumb, they're foot people. Offer a size range based on a letter, put a moderate amount of posting in it and you just covered a lot of peoples basic needs. Take someone who's a 7 on a scale of 1-10 and and the best Superfeet insert might yield a 3 or 4. Is it better than nothing? Sure, but is there a void? Possibly. You can do more damage to your foot by improperly or overcorrecting your foot than not correcting it at all. You also need to make DAMN sure your shoes are orthotic compliant. Just because your shoe has a stock insole that slides out doesn't mean you're free to put an orthotic replacement in. I've seen no less than 10 bus tickets bought to head home from Franklin because someone thought putting Superfeet in a Salomon XAPro. It may work for some, but few people know that shoe already has a remarkable amount of medial post, and adding an orthotic just sent that shoe into a very dangerous package. People don't teach this anymore, sad.
#2 Gotta find shoes that work for you (Trial and error). Yes that's true, but that's when experience kicks in. What the general public has been taught about buying shoes is intuitive. Unfortunately "intuitive" derails a lot of people. That's where we come in. We're not saying we're perfect. Far from it. What I will say, is I am 100% confident I can look at a foot and within 10 seconds tell you what you DON'T want. There may be a shoe out there you have your eye on, you heard something good about it and you bought into it. You spend 3 months beating your feet up in it to find out it was a bad decision. A good fitter might have been able to tell you the moment you fell for it that it is a bad choice. You just saved yourself 3 months and $150.
#3 Toes play piano…
I appreciate the retention of the lesson, but that's not always for everyone. More often than not, it has some truth. But this is a testament to individual fit needs. That's the case when we see inconsistencies in met-head measurements and overall toe box size/shape. I happen to have a proportioned met-head and toe box. If I was looking to make sure I needed "piano" room, I could throw my foot in a Keen Targhee 1/2 size down from what I need and I'll get "piano" room. Unfortunately, so much else would be wrong, I'd be in a bad place with my footwear choice.
Hope this helps, everyone. Give me a call at the shop if any of you have specific questions or want to set an appointment. We love being able to help!